It is claimed that the US and Russia have agreed on a secret peace plan for Ukraine, which would force painful concessions on the attacked country - not only territorial ones. A diversionary maneuver or the truth? How is the EU reacting.
In connection with the new American peace plan for Ukraine, which some media wrote about, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kallas called on Kiev and Brussels to also be included in it. "For any peace plan to work, Ukrainians and Europeans need to be on board," Kallas told reporters in Brussels, where EU foreign ministers are meeting. Europeans welcome "any effort for long-term peace," she said, noting that there is an "aggressor and a victim" in the conflict, referring to Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also said that Europe's position should be taken into account in peace talks. “I hope that restrictions on the right to defense will be imposed not on the victim, but on the aggressor.“
“Ukrainians in no way want capitulation“
Russian President Vladimir Putin is obstructing the achievement of peace in Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said upon his arrival in Brussels. “Ukrainians in no way want capitulation“, he added. Spain's top diplomat José Manuel Álvarez expressed a similar opinion. He stressed that a peace plan for Ukraine without Ukraine and the EU is not possible. In addition, this plan must guarantee the existence of a sovereign and democratic Ukrainian state, Álvarez said.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful also indicated that a prerequisite for peace talks is the inclusion of Kiev and Europe - as well as the establishment of a ceasefire. Negotiations can only be held "if Putin ends his aggressive war against Ukraine, if a ceasefire is established without any preconditions," Wadeful said, quoted by ARD.
The German public media also included the opinion of the head of the cabinet of the German Chancellor, Torsten Frei, in connection with the possible new American plan to settle the conflict. "The first news about this is quite worrying," said the CDU politician. "It seems that in this way Putin could achieve military goals that he has not been able to achieve on the battlefield. And that would certainly be an unacceptable result," said Frei.
Reports of secret talks
The reason for the comments were reports in the media about secret talks between Moscow and Washington about a possible peace plan for Ukraine, ARD points out. According to the “Financial Times“ he demands major concessions from Ukraine, the publication reported, citing participants in the talks. The plan called for Ukraine to completely withdraw from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and reduce its army by half. It was said that Kiev would even cede parts of areas that Russia has not yet managed to control militarily. If this plan were to go into effect, Ukraine would also be threatened with restrictions on the range of its weapons. In return, Ukraine and Europe would receive guarantees from the United States for their security against future Russian aggression.
According to the information of the “Financial Times“, it will be required that Russian be recognized as the state language in Ukraine and that the former Moscow-loyal Orthodox Church be allowed back in. The news portal Axios reported that the plan was agreed upon in late October by Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Kremlin representative Kirill Dmitriev. Witkoff had informed the head of the Ukrainian Security Council, Rustem Umerov, about the information.
Moscow: no new proposals
ARD also quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia and the US had no new proposals for ending the war. What Trump and Putin discussed at their meeting in Alaska remained valid. The Financial Times commented that the new plan largely corresponds to the already known Russian demands made to Kiev.
Trump has previously mentioned a military withdrawal of the Ukrainians and an exchange of territories. In recent weeks, however, he has openly shown himself disappointed by Putin's lack of willingness to negotiate. The American president has so far refused a second meeting in Budapest and has imposed painful sanctions against the largest Russian oil exporting companies - Rosneft and and “Lukoil“.
Ukraine – under double pressure
The possible new rapprochement between Washington and Moscow comes at an extremely inopportune time for Ukraine, writes ARD. On the eastern front, many observers suggest that Pokrovsk, where heavy fighting is taking place, could fall. And the Ukrainian army has had to withdraw from its positions further south.
In domestic politics, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is under pressure due to the corruption scandal surrounding him. Two ministers have had to resign, the German public media outlet recalls. New personnel changes are also expected. There is also talk in the Ukrainian capital of the possible removal of Andriy Yermak, the influential head of the presidential office, writes ARD.
There has been no direct reaction from Ukraine to the information about the US-Russian plan so far. However, Zelensky called on Trump to advocate for a just peace. "Only President Trump and the United States have enough power to end this war," he wrote on social media.
In connection with the secrecy of the plan, ARD hypothesizes that Russia is currently primarily interested in spreading such news - as a maneuver to divert attention from the fact that pressure from US sanctions against the Russian oil industry has increased.